Winding down...in retrospect...

I've spoken with many people concerned about the Klamath economy over the past several years. In my neighborhood, I've heard concerns about snow removal, the need for road improvements, complaints about permit requirements, and disagreements about what the City is or isn't allowing to happen nearby.

For example, at the bottom of Hillside Ave, at the intersection of Crater Lake Parkway, Main and Old Fort Klamath Road, vacant land has been for sale for several years. It was zoned medium density, which limits construction to multifamily units, such as apartments. Cramming a lot of people next to a highway is never a nice thing to do to human beings. A site like that can only be viable for low income housing. Such housing tends to increase crime rates in the vicinity, especially if there are upscale targets nearby, like the Pacific Terrace community.

Years ago, the County changed the traffic pattern for Old Fort Road, running it into an unsightly dead-end at Crater Lake Parkway. Ever since, there has been a traffic quagmire snaking heavy industrial traffic en route to the County landfill through a residential neighborhood. The abrupt street angles increase congestion, noise and air pollution. Very inefficient.  It is obvious to anyone who looks at the area that someday the traffic flow will need to be restructured.

We had an opportunity when the land was vacant and for sale to acquire it, restructure the roads, and open a dialogue with the community to explore what uses would be welcomed. The City did nothing. The land would have also benefited the City geothermal loop by adding heat capacity from three wells already in place on the site. The incumbent lives nearby and he did nothing. Had I been on Council I would have proposed proactive outreach to resolve the land use and intersection issues with the residents who would be impacted. In the course of exploring options to use the land to make our community more livable, I suspect the neighborhood would have supported a variance for a nice restaurant or coffee shop we could walk to...or a community store, perhaps with an atrium area utilizing geothermal to grow produce utilized onsite. What a great showcase of geothermal technology that would have been!

Now the property has been sold to a developer that intends to build low-income, government-subsidized apartments. My fear has come true. It happened as a result of ignorance and complacency. Due to a lack of intervention, there is nothing legally the City can do to stop the development in progress. Say hello to a new eyesore and other problems that will take our quality of life a few steps backward. And guess what else? We'll still need to deal with that intersection someday!

This isn't the first time City ignorance has been costly. In 2002, the site at 6th and East main was vacant and for sale for around $70,000. The City had a long-term plan to widen 6th and extend east Main to Washburn. You'd think they would have acquired the site when it was for sale. They did not. Instead, Quackenbush purchased it and built a thriving coffee shop there. Later, when the City condemned the property for pubic use, they were required to pay fair market value of over $300,000. Strategically acquiring property when it is for sale is almost always more cost effective than waiting until it has been developed. This mistake wasted some $230,000 of taxpayer funds and displaced a successful business.

Another One Soon Gone

The City is currently ignoring an opportunity to purchase a building at the intersection of Pine, Esplanade and Main. This intersection will need to be modified as future traffic increases. The only way to modify it will be to demolish the building currently for sale. The City could solve a traffic problem and build an artistic anchor for commerce that side of Main Street. The owner would be willing to take trades for other City surplus real estate just sitting around. What do you think is happening? You guessed it, nothing. Council members and City Administration have been approached and made aware of the opportunity. Councilwoman Trish Seiler has taken the trouble to argue against it. Why? It is so illogical to NOT acquire this property now instead of waiting until after it has been developed for hundreds of thousands more that even guessing at reasons to not move forward is beyond my comprehension. The lack of leadership costs YOU.

Elected Offices

If I were in office, I would not allow these mistakes and oversights to continue. Many people agree with this perspective, but only ONE a person volunteered to help talk to a few voters about my campaign--someone who once ran for office and knew what I was up against.

People hear this--democracy is not free, nor is it passive.

Complaining does not solve problems. Holding officials accountable does. How do you hold them accountable? If you want to see positive changes, you must show you give a damn through your participation. At a minimum, do your research. Those of you reading this on the web are not the problem. Convincing others to overcome their apathy requires your effort. I can guarantee you that no volunteer effort is as risky or involved as actually running for office. The lesson here is: do your research and reach out to support a candidate who demonstrates logic, courage and leadership. Or...keep doing what you've always done and get the same results you object to.

By all means, run for office and hope that others will support the ideals that compelled you to attempt to make a difference. You will find that doing the work all by yourself requires a lot of effort for very little, if any, reward. Those of us who try anyway do it because we love our country and the idea of democracy so much we are prepared to make the sacrifices necessary to see it through. That, my friends and neighbors, is exactly what led to the creation of this fine country in the first place. Ignore the blessings of liberty at your own peril.